Are you looking for additional help to improve your eating habits? Do you have dietary limitations that can make healthy eating a challenge? If so, you may be interested in checking out the ShopWell app. This free app is available for both Android and iOS. It is a great tool to find quick and easy-to-understand information about your favorite products as well as foods you may be interested in trying.
How it works
Upon downloading the app, it will ask you to sign up through a social media account or using your email address. Once you’re registered, you’ll go through a brief tutorial describing the app. From there you’ll create a profile to allow the app to guide you in your quest for healthy eating. The app asks your gender, age and how many kids and adults you shop for. Next you’ll set your food preferences. The app will ask you what kinds of foods you’d like to avoid (i.e. gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and more), what kind of nutrition habits you’d like to shop for (i.e. general health, weight management, heart health, healthy pregnancy, and more), and if there are any conditions you need to manage (prediabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and more).
After you’ve completed registration you’ll find information in a blog-like format for your review, if you desire. You can then track your grocery store purchases by selecting your grocery store and syncing the loyalty program to the app (you must register your loyalty card on the store’s website first). Use the “quick tips” sections to scan products as you shop to see how they stack up to your goals. If the product you scan isn’t recommended, the app will suggest other options more in line with your goals.
Pros
- The quick scan feature provides you with quick, simple and easy-to-use information to help you understand whether or not you should choose the product.
- The feature that allows you to connect with your grocery store’s loyalty program to understand your purchases is a great way to see your long-term eating habits as well as make changes for the future.
Cons
- There are a lot of helpful features to this app, but they’re difficult to understand as there isn’t really any explanation of how to use them or where to find them. For example, it is unclear what “missions” are and how you select them.
- The information on the home screen doesn’t appear to be updated very often, nor is there really a lot of information.
Overall consensus
This is a decent app to help you eat healthy, avoid food allergens and stick to your goals. However, it is in need of greater development. The quick scan feature is probably the most useful feature at this time if you’re looking for whether or not a specific product meets the healthy eating pattern you’re striving for.
